Knowledge broker teachers and professional development

Like their counterparts in business, teachers who act as knowledge brokers play a key role in transferring and translating knowledge from those who have it to those who need it. This article reports on findings of a qualitative study which examined how four knowledge broker teachers influenced the professional development of their colleague teachers. Through interviews, the author examined the unique attributes of these knowledge broker teachers, as well as the way they built and shared knowledge. Findings indicated that knowledge broker teachers used various personas and employed specific brokering processes to build and share knowledge successfully. Identifying and supporting knowledge broker teachers can create an informal pathway to support teachers’ professional development in the local school context.